Rabat – At least 40 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in one of the worst attacks Russia saw in years.
According to reports, gunmen in combat suits opened fire and detonated explosives in a big concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday evening.
Online video footage shows at least four gunmen in camouflage clothing opening fire with automatic weapons as people were attempting to flee for their lives.
One video shows three men carrying rifles shooting directly at people cornered at the entrance of the Crocus City Hall.
Other pictures show the hall engulfed in fire, with rising smoke visible from a distance. Reports indicate that the attackers have detonated a series of explosives, with the sound of the blasts heard in multiple videos capturing the attack.
The Guardian reports that at least two blasts took place at the concert hall. Some videos show hoards of people running away from the scene, while others show people with gun wounds being treated outside the building.
As of this moment, there is no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin said that the government is set to cancel all cultural, sporting, and other large gatherings for the weekend after the attack. Meanwhile, the Russian railroads and other major utilities said they were increasing security.
Sobyanin called the attack a “great tragedy”. More than 70 ambulances had been sent to the site of the attack, the Guardian reports.
The tragedy occurred less than a month after a number of countries, including the US, issued terror warnings and told their citizens to avoid public gatherings in Russia.
On 8 March, the US embassy said that it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours.”
